An item transport, used in financial document processing systems to receive, process and sort documents, typically comprises an input section in which a batch of documents is placed for processing, a transport path for transporting the documents through various processing steps, a sorting area where the documents are sorted into different pockets after processing, and display and input sections where an operator is able to read displayed messages and enter information and commands. An operator is frequently called on to perform tasks at different areas of the transport. A typical item transport is quite large and requires an operator to walk a significant distance to get from one side or end of the transport to the other. For example, an operator may be working at the sorting area of the transport when a problem occurs, causing the transport to interrupt processing and display an error message. The operator must walk to the display area, read the error message and then proceed back to the sorting area or to another identified area in order to correct the problem. The need for the operator to walk back and forth along the transport to receive messages and then perform tasks related to those messages interferes with operator efficiency.